Buffalo to host NHL Combine in 2015 and 2016

by jmaloni

Submitted

Mon, Aug 18th 2014 03:35 pm

An artist's rendering of an ice rink inside HARBORCENTER.

Event will be held at First Niagara Center and HARBORCENTER

The National Hockey League and the
Buffalo Sabres today announced the NHL Combine will move to Buffalo in 2015 and
2016, with the event being held at First Niagara Center and the
soon-to-be-completed HARBORCENTER complex across from the arena. The event,
which has taken place in Toronto in previous years, showcases the top
draft-eligible prospects from North America and Europe heading into the NHL
Draft.

"The NHL Combine is an essential
event for all of our member clubs in advance of the draft, which continues to
grow in importance," said Colin Campbell, senior executive vice president of
NHL hockey operations. "The league has pushed to improve the combine each year,
and the state-of-the-art facilities in Buffalo will allow us to further enhance
the quality of the event for our teams, prospects and media."

The event, held in late May or
early June, is a chance for representatives - typically scouts, coaches and
general managers - from the NHL's 30 member clubs to observe the prospects
undergo physical and mental tests. Teams conduct individual interviews with
prospects before they undergo various fitness and skill tests to hopefully
improve their value in the draft.

"We've had our eye on hosting the
combine for quite some time, and we are thrilled that it will be coming to
Buffalo," said Ted Black, president of the Sabres. "Terry and Kim Pegula have made
it a goal of this organization to create an environment here in Buffalo that is
ideal for hosting highly visible events like the combine, and we are certainly
ready to meet that challenge. All of our resources will be in place to ensure a
successful event for the league, and we're proud to have the next wave of NHL
players pass through Buffalo."

First Niagara Center and
HARBORCENTER offer a unique setting for the event. The combined facility - the
two buildings are connected by a pedestrian bridge - is the only three-rink
complex among NHL teams and offers an "all-in-one" package, with additional
off-ice training space, a restaurant and a hotel housed in HARBORCENTER.

"HARBORCENTER was built with
events like the combine in mind," said John Koelmel, HARBORCENTER's
president. "Our intent was to provide a world-class facility for hockey that
attracts the sport's best events. The NHL Combine continues to grow every year,
and we're confident that HARBORCENTER and all of its amenities will only add to
the experience for the league and all of the participating prospects."

HARBORCENTER, which opens this
fall, is a $172 million hockey and entertainment complex that is connected to
First Niagara Center in the Canalside District of downtown Buffalo. Among its
many amenities, the facility boasts two NHL-size rinks, 11 locker rooms, the
Academy of Hockey, IMPACT Sports Performance training facility, (716) Food and
Sport restaurant, a destination Tim Hortons location, a full-service Marriott
hotel and a 750-space parking structure and additional retail space.

Partnering with the NHL and the
Sabres is Kaleida Health, the largest health care provider in Western New York,
to provide all medical services and testing for the combine. In addition to
providing on-site equipment and services, Kaleida's local medical campuses will
be available for additional, off-site testing locations.

"We are proud to partner with
the National Hockey League and the Sabres in bringing the combine to Buffalo,"
said Jody L. Lomeo, president and CEO of Kaleida Health. "Hosting this major
event at HARBORCENTER is another step in the renaissance of our great
community. Great things are happening across Western New York, and we are happy
to be a part of it. Our physicians and staff stand ready to work with the
prospects and will deliver great care to them while they are in town."